Mental Health-Friendly Workplace

Hood College recognizes the importance of building and sustaining a
work environment in which physical and mental health are priorities for
our faculty and staff. Physical, mental and social well-being are three
vital interconnected components of overall health. In particular, our
mental or emotional health is important in being able to

Establish and maintain fulfilling relationships;

Participate in productive life activities, including our
careers;

Cope with adversity;

Adapt to changing environments; and

Demonstrate resilience in managing the many challenges that we
encounter throughout our lifetimes.

Promoting a Healthy Work Environment

The College is committed to supporting initiatives that promote our
employees mental well-being through a multi-pronged approach. This
multiple level strategy includes:

Declaration of mental health wellness as an organizational value;

Assessment of negative workplace environmental issues;

Development of strategies to improve our workplace
environment,

Integration of health care plans to promote individual
assessment and appropriate treatment at earliest point of contact;

Awareness of mental health issues and resources;

Sensitivity to barriers (such as stigma and shame) surrounding
mental health issues and the seeking of treatment; and

Empathy and support for employees and/or their loved ones
experiencing mental health issues.

Although work can be fundamental to people’s happiness, the workplace
can be a major factor in exacerbating mental health issues for
employees. Studies have shown that many negative work environment
related issues have an adverse impact on an organization’s bottom line
and on employees themselves. These work-related issues contribute to
increased direct and indirect costs associated with the mental and
physical conditions that result from an unhealthy work environment. Hood
College is committed to identifying and rectifying as much as possible
negative workplace issues to promote a healthy work environment.

Benefits and Program Review

As part of our efforts, we are undertaking a comprehensive review of all
programs and benefit plans to provide the optimum value to our
employees. The integration of these plans will help to better support
efforts to improve and sustain mental health at the College. We will
need to continuously review our policies and seek feedback to assure
that we are working on building a culture that accepts the reality of
the prevalence of mental health issues today and, just as important,
understands the current level of success that treatment is having with
many mental health issues.

Online Resources

As part of our Human Resources strategy, we are providing a
comprehensive online resource for employees to use to address the myriad
of life challenges that they face today. Life Support, an important
resource for employees, will provide instant access to up-to-date
information on a variety of topics. Many mental health issues and
available resources can be found by visiting our Life
Support Web page.

M. Scott Peck said in "The Road Less Traveled" that "life is
difficult." Later, in "Further Along the Road Less Traveled," he
amended this statement to be "life is complex." This level of
complexity has both positive and negative implications. The plethora of
issues in today’s world brings many levels of new and existing
challenges. However, the new understanding of the brain and our
emotional makeup brings about better strategies for handling the new
level of complexity and promoting our mental well-being. That being
said, there is still a long way to go and we are asking that you travel
on this road with us to nurture one another in a workplace where
everyone can thrive!

Hood Mission

Through an integration of the liberal arts and the professions, Hood College provides an education that empowers students to use their hearts, minds and hands to meet personal, professional and global challenges and to lead purposeful lives of responsibility, leadership, service and civic engagement.